Page 16 of They Found Us (Found #5)

“Nothing,” Alex assures me. “Van has ears everywhere. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. And without telling people exactly what they are listening for, it’s hard to dig for more information.”

“Still, it buys us some time.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Alex groans, shaking his head.

“There are new people arriving on the island every week. There’s only so much background we can check.

They turn up with fake passports and new identities, just like you and me.

We can keep an eye on unplanned arrivals, but those arranged through correct channels, we have no control over.

Martelé could have people arriving any day now, and we wouldn’t have a clue. ”

Alex pulls off the main road and up a dirt track. The road has a steep incline. The higher we go, the more incredible the views of the island get. It’s a mixture of greens from the luscious trees and plants and blues from the sky and ocean. I take in the sight as my brain processes Alex words.

We need to return to Italy soon. The Martelé must not find us here.

They cannot ever know this island exists.

My Katie is not going to be happy when I tell her.

She is going to be devastated, in fact. Our life on this island is all she has ever wanted.

All she has ever wanted for our boys. And I am about to take all that away from her.

I’m furious with myself that I have brought about this situation.

The reason they are in danger is that I returned to Italy.

I wasn’t careful enough. I was seen. My return even resulted in the death of an innocent air stewardess.

My head hangs in shame, and I rub my forehead.

“Hey, you can cut that out.” Alex elbows me in the side. “We are Guerras. We don’t worry or care about situations. We get things done and move on.”

“How do you know what I am thinking?”

“I can see guilt all over your face. Snap out of it. Where are your Guerra balls? You better put that shit to bed before we leave this island, or you will get us all fucking killed.”

He stops the car. We’ve reached the top of a small mountain. It’s a shooting range. Alex gets out of the car and greets a tall, thin man in a very worn camouflage outfit. While they greet each other, I get out and have a look around.

There are three outdoor shooting ranges, each with various shooting distances. There’s a large metal barn that appears to house an indoor shooting range, and there is also a thick, steel shipping container that, I imagine, stores the weapons and ammunition.

Alex finishes his conversation and joins me, slapping me on the back as he approaches. “Let’s see what you got, then, little brother.”

As I expected, the shipping container contains a variety of guns and ammunition.

“Get yourself a rifle, a pistol, and a shotgun,” Alex instructs as he picks up a shotgun and manoeuvres it around in his hands.

After a few minutes, I have selected some equipment I like the look of. The thin man who goes by the name of Hank sets us up in one of the bays. The targets, silhouettes of heads and shoulders, are several hundred feet away.

Hank runs though some safety precautions, but I don’t listen. I can’t hear him for the adrenaline that rushes through my body while I’m holding the rifle.

I’ve always had my gun with me at home, and I would often get it out of my safe and hold it, but it has been years since I fired a gun. Years since I inflicted gruelling pain or even death. The excitement of what’s to come has my heart beating so hard, I can hear it in my ears.

I bring the rifle up to my shoulder. I grip firmly with my right hand and support its weight with my left. Aligning my eyes with the target, I wrap my index finger around the trigger and fire.

One. Two. Three.

The sound, the adrenaline. The powerful equipment in my arms brings back feelings I hadn’t realised I’d missed. It feels good. It feels natural.

Alexs laughs as he sees the two eyes and the nose I have created in my target. “Not bad, Leo. Not bad at all.”

“It’s like riding a bike,” I say.

“Well, let’s hope Van doesn’t shoot as well as he rides a bike.”

“He’s a loyal man, Van is,” I reply protectively.

“I know, I know. I’m just having a joke.”

“Let’s see what you’re made of, then.”

Alex also fires his rifle three times—one straight in the middle of the forehead, one in the centre of the chest, and one in the groin area.

“Not bad,” I comment sarcastically.

It seems neither of us have lost our touch. We spend the next few hours, trying out different guns and shooting them from various ranges. I leave feeling exhilarated.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Alex asks as we start the journey down the mountain.

“I did.”

“It’s in our blood. We belong in Italy. We are the Guerra.”

“You’re glad to go back, aren’t you?”

“I never wanted to leave. I did it for you and Vanna,” he admits.

“It might be in my blood, but it isn’t a life I would have chosen. It’s not a life I would choose for my children.”

“Your boys can choose their own path. We aren’t like Papa.

We would never force our children to become something they are not or willingly put them in danger.

There’re ways of protecting Mark and Zander.

We will keep them at a safe distance.” Alex turns and looks at me.

“Just because we are returning to Italy doesn’t mean your life has to change.

Yes, there will be a lot to deal with on our return.

But once things settle down, I will take my position as leader, and you can take on as much or as little responsibility as you wish. ”

“You will take over as leader?” Although I don’t want to return to the role of the don, I’m annoyed at Alex’s presumption that he will return and take the lead. After all, he has never been the boss of the Guerra. He was next in line before me, but when he died, he left that responsibility on me.

“Yes. It is my duty. I am the eldest in the Guerra.”

“And what about Marco, the current leader?”

“He will step aside for the true heir. After all, he hasn’t exactly been doing a sufficient job.”

I crack my neck at Alex’s words. Not only do I have the Martelé to deal with on our return, but I also have my big brother. I had forgotten how arrogant he can be. Deciding not to argue at his point, I ask, “When do you suggest we leave?”

“As soon as possible. We need our return to be as big a surprise to the Martelé as possible.”

“Oh, I think they will be surprised, especially when they find out Vanna is alive. How exactly are you going to play that one?”

“She is going to take over the Martelé, of course.”

Nothing leaves my mouth as I stare at Alex in disbelief. Does he really think the Martelé are going to allow Vanna walk back in there and hand over the lead to her? He has lost his head.

“You’re out of your mind.” I shake my head as I exit his car which, is now parked in his driveway.

Alex laughs. “You’ll see. Italy is ours, brother.”

“When are you going to tell Katie?” Alex asks as we enter his home.

“Tell me what?” My wife’s voice appears out of nowhere, followed by her long, tanned legs, which make their way down the stairs in front of me. She has Mark in one hand, wearing his pyjamas, and his bag in the other. She has obviously just gotten him changed.

“Nothing to worry about at the moment, la mia ragazza.” My girl. I give her kiss on the lips. She tastes of her usual sweetness mixed with a little lemon. She tastes like home.

“Hmm,” Katie murmurs, raising her eyebrows at my dismissive answer.

Katie

I thought there was something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Now I know for definite that Leo is hiding something from me, and Alex knows about it.

I wonder if Vanna knows what it is too. I hate secrets.

I hate not knowing things. But given we’re at Vanna and Alex’s house, now isn’t the time to discuss it.

Vanna and I have had a lovely afternoon.

Mark has really enjoyed playing in the swimming pool.

Vanna and I took it in turns to play with him in the water, throwing him about and having races.

Mark is very tired from all the excitement, and now that he’s dried and in his nightwear, I have no doubt he will be asleep soon.

We all walk through the house and out into the pool area.

Vanna is sat in the shade, giving Zander his bottle.

“Look who I found,” I say to Vanna, gesturing to Alex and Leo behind me.

“You’re back. Did you have fun?” she asks.

“What exactly have you been doing?”

But neither of them directly answers my question.

“Bonding, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” Alex says, putting an arm around Leo’s shoulder. He then gets cigars out of his jacket pocket and hands one to Leo.

My eyes bore into the side of Leo’s head, but he purposely doesn’t give me eye contact, knowing full well I will disapprove.

That doesn’t stop him from taking the lighter Alex offers and igniting the cigar in his mouth.

A cloud of smoke surrounds him, and suddenly I’m transported back to a time in Italy when Leo was different to the man I married.

“So, Katie. You still haven’t told me how you and Leo got together,” Vanna remarks from where she sits, happily winding Zander on her knee.

But I can’t take my eyes off Leo. Something has changed in him. He and Alex talk quietly to each other and make their way over to the outside bar, out of eyesight .

“Oh, you know, the usual mafia love story. He kidnapped me, kept me prisoner, took away my passport so I couldn’t leave, and forced me to marry him.”

Vanna laughs at my reply but stops uncomfortably when she looks behind me. A glass smashes on the floor, but I don’t turn to look. No doubt Leo has heard my answer, and from the look on Vanna’s face, he is not amused.

“I think it’s time we were going,” Leo’s voice booms from behind me.

“But we’ve not eaten yet.” Vanna stands hopefully.

“The boys are tired. We need to get them to bed.” Leo gathers up their things and puts it all in their bags.

“Thank you for having us, Vanna. But like Leo said, the boys have had a lovely but busy day, so I think we better get them home.” Not speaking to Leo, I also gather more of their things and put Zander in the pram.

“I’ll take the pram and get them into the car.” Leo says, then disappears into the house with the boys and Alex, leaving me with Vanna.

She looks at me sympathetically. “Is everything okay?”

“I think you know as well as I do, Vanna, that something is going on, and until I know what it is, everything is not okay.”

Vanna nods and gives me a hug. “Everything will be just fine. You’ll see.”

But her words worry me even more.

After saying goodbye, we leave. We don’t say a word to each other on the way home or after we go into the house. We just fall into the routine of getting the boys settled for bed, making their milk, reading them a bedtime story, then a trip to the bathroom for Mark and a change for Zander.

It’s not until they are both asleep and we go downstairs that I finally look at Leo. His face is angry. He stands tall in the kitchen and looks down at me wide-eyed.

“What was that?” he demands.

“What was what?”

Leo bangs his fists on the kitchen worktop. “You know very well. Disrespecting me in front of Vanna and my brother.”

“It’s hardly disrespect when it is the truth, Leo.” I’m mad. I’m furious at the way he is speaking to me. How dare he. “What is going on with you?” Emotion fills my voice now, and I see a flash of regret in his eyes.

His shoulders relax slightly, and he takes a seat at the island. “Sit down, Kat-er-een.” He pulls out the stool beside him. “I am sorry.”

His words hit me in the gut. I’m not going to like what comes next.

“My actions have put you and our boys in danger.”

He isn’t looking at me when he speaks, so I take hold of his hand because although his words scare me, I trust him. “What has happened? Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out. I need to understand.”

Leo begins by explaining the turmoil the Guerra has been through. He tells me about Mia’s disappearance and Marco falling apart. Listening intently, I don’t speak, just give his hand a little squeeze every now and then to encourage him to continue, which he does.

“When you weren’t answering the phone, I didn’t think rationally. I needed to get back to you immediately. I didn’t cover my tracks. I may have led the Martelé right to us.” Leo hangs his head in shame.

My heart is racing, and my mind is in overdrive at the thought of our babies in danger. “Okay. What now, then, Leo Guerra?” I ask firmly and expectantly.

Leo’s eyes instantly meet mine, searching for my anger and annoyance, which is there, but I’m hiding it. Honestly, when my boys are safe, I will let my anger out at Leo for going back to Italy in the first place. But for now, I need him to think logically, to protect our children.

“We go back to Italy.”